Quean of Swords

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Noble Pursuits (Doctor Who)

Reviewed by Kathryn A on 31st January 2011 (4)
Tags: Novel
(318K)

Summary: In an alternate universe, alternate Donna Noble is a PA at H.C. Clements. Then, one day, her boss tries to feed her to his alien insect offspring. Lucky for her, she is rescued by Rose Tyler of the Insanely Rich Tylers and a mysterious man who calls himself 'the Doctor'... two people who seem to be a bit more familiar with her than they should be. The Doctor, Rose, and the team at Torchwood Alpha (a.k.a. The Warehouse) have to stop an insidious alien invasion before they've even had a chance to settle into their new lives. Will Donna have to chose between helping them or protecting her ailing grandfather?

Donna is awesome in this. She's very much herself, even if she's the Alt!Donna; bolshie and loud and insecure and warm. And there is Wilf. Things go better with Wilf.

Another thing that I liked was that, unlike many stories that deal with the 10.5 Doctor, he's not just having trouble dealing with being human, but also the inner conflict of being part Doctor and part Donna. Then there's the uncertainty of his relationship with Rose, and her uncertainty about his relationship with her. Rose isn't just worried about that either, but about whether she really can lead people at Torchwood like she should.

Add on top of that an alien incursion which rapidly starts looking like a covert invasion, and they all have their work cut out for them.

A lovely balance of character and plot. Go read.